This question found it’s way into my email inbox this week and I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s simple, but it can provide a ton of insight and direction in its answer.
“If we were sitting here three years from now in this exact same place, sitting in these exact same chairs, what would need to happen for each of us to be happy with those three years?”
(h/t Carl Richards – Your Future Should Be Bigger Than Your Past. Here’s How to Do It.)
If you feel unsure about where it is that you’re headed, answer the question. Not just in your head, actually articulate it. Grab your spouse, a friend, a sibling, a stranger, anyone and ask each other the question.
It may feel awkward. You may squirm in your seat a bit (like I did) or even brush it off at first as being too idealistic, but once you let it sink in and really give it thought, you will come away reenergized and with a greater focus and direction on your future plans.
Give it a try. If you don’t have someone to share the question with, reach out. I’ll be your sounding board. Let me know how it goes.
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Here’s what caught my eye this week:
MONEY & LIFE: I Planned for Widowhood but Got a Lot Wrong (ThinkAdvisor)
My lovely mother actually put this article back on my radar a couple of weeks ago. The article is a few years old but continues to get recirculated year-after-year in part because of its unique first-person perspective of a woman who has and still is experiencing the journey of widowhood. The author, Ellen Uzelac, recounts her journey through the fog of grief and gives some tips on how to prepare for and navigate your financial life in the wake of grief.